Hampshire Rich List 2023: Wealthiest people in Hampshire including Solent Forts owner and Waterlooville property magnate

In its annual list, Insider has named the top 100 richest people in the South East of England. This includes 12 people and families from Hampshire, who’s wealth is in the tens and hundreds of millions of pounds.

The richest people on the entire list are brothers Ian and Richard Livingstone, aged 61 and 58, of Berkshire, who own one of Hampshire’s most opulent hotels – Chewton Glen in Christchurch Road, New Milton. It dates back to 18th century and boasts 72 rooms, 14 luxurious treehouses and a spa with a dozen treatment rooms. The are worth £6.46bn, £460m more than last year.

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The wealthiest person in Hampshire, ranked joint 19th, is Jeffrey Smith, 77, and his family. He made his fortune running a Southampton-based business refurbishing airline interiors, and now runs a vast commercial and property empire.

One of his businesses, which he owns 49 per cent of which is worth £348.1m, is the Havant-based Proudreed’s properties. In total, the Smith family is worth £359m.

The second wealthiest person from Hampshire, ranked in 32nd, is Mike Clare – famous for building up the popular bed company Dreams. The 68-year-old made £222m when he sold the business in 2008.

Mr Clare also owns the impressive Spitbank Fort, which stands in the middle of the approach in Portsmouth Harbour, as well as It was converted into a museum in 2009 after it was bought by the multi-millionaire and his company Clarenco LLP.

He also owns No Man’s Fort and Horse Sand Fort, with the former and Spitbank Fort currently up for sale.

Here are the top 12 richest people in Hampshire

Jeffrey Smith and Family – joint 19th out of 100 – worth £359m.

Mike Clare – 32nd – worth £249m.

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Chris Phillips – 37th – worth £217m. The 38-year-old made his fortune through the Waterlooville-based group JustDevelopIt, which owns 400 properties and is valued at over £100m.

The Stannah family, headed by Joseph Stannah – 44th – worth £201m – owners of Stannah lifts based in Andover.

Lee Biggins – 46th – worth £199m – the 45-year-old runs the recruitment website CV Library which reached record profits of £22m in 2021-2022.

Paul Hendy and family – joint 56th – worth £150m – the 55-year-old and his family run the Hendy Group, an Eastleigh-based car dealership group which has 21 brand showrooms across Hampshire, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, and elsewhere.

John Draper and family – 63rd – worth £144m – the 73-year-old and his family run the tool distribution firm Draper Tools.

Tim Elliot and family – 66th – worth £130m – the 69-year-old operates Elliott Baxter, a leading paper and cardboard merchant which is over 100 years old. The fourth generation of the family are running the business.

Gurjinder Mehta and family – joint 74th – worth £110m – the 48-year-old runs Siva Plastics, which recently recorded annual profits of £10m.

Richard, 62, and Sara Mancey, 61 – 90th – worth £104m – Richard’s parents John and Ann opened Paultons Park in Romsey. The family’s main company holds net assets of more than £96.5m.

Lance Trevellyan and family – 91st – worth £103m – the 69-year-old property developer has recently won planning permission to turn his family’s site in Bethnal Green, London, into a 157-bed hotel.

John Partridge and family – 95th – worth £100m – the 83-year-old owns Sonardyne, which makes marine navigation systems.